Ch. 149
[What a tragedy. It seems God has laid too heavy a burden upon you….]
“There isn’t only bad news. Please look at this.”
[What blade is that?]
“The dragon holds me in special regard and gave me this sword as a token that we’d meet again in twenty years. It’s a symbol of my friendship with the dragon.”
‘I wonder if our Magi sleeps well, or wipes his mouth after he eats.
And whether he broke something in the lair again and just patched it up carelessly.’
[Truly! You say you’ve shared friendship with a dragon?]
“Yes, Your Majesty. And this sword is no ordinary blade. It contains the scales of a Gold Dragon and has an indescribably beautiful golden blade. Would you like to see it?”
‘Do you have a dragon friend? I do. My friend is a dragon.’
The king nodded, mouth agape as if bewitched.
Normally baring a blade before the king is a grave crime, but we were communicating remotely, and more than that, he himself granted permission, so there was no issue.
Wearing a triumphant smile, I gave a discreet display of the blade that would polish my life to an even brighter shine.
The sword’s true worth lay in its golden blade—the very image that appears in the Dmitri royal family’s founding myth.
If one were of Dmitri’s royal line, it was a look one couldn’t help but love.
[Oh my, it’s dazzling—beautiful enough to blind! A dragon… did you say it contains the scales of a Gold Dragon?]
“Indeed. It’s such a magnificent blade that even my untrained eye finds it brilliant.”
[Astounding. Truly admirable… and to think a dragon gifted it to you….]
A flicker of desire crossed the eyes of a king who possessed part of a continent.
He was a swordsman, too. It was the gaze of someone who wanted a famed sword, and I was a wise person who knew how to wait my turn.
I spoke readily, as if it were nothing special.
“I don’t know how to use a sword, so I will present it to Your Majesty. Please accept it.”
[…Y-You’ll give it to me?]
Dikel III wore a stupefied expression for a few seconds—likely one his closest aides had never seen—before recovering himself.
He must not have expected I would offer it so readily.
“Yes. Surely you don’t think I’m showing this off to you just to boast.”
[Well, no… but won’t the dragon be displeased? It was given to you—if I keep it, it won’t be pleased.]
“Not at all. I’ve already obtained the dragon’s permission, so pray don’t worry. I know well that giving this blade to Your Majesty is the one true way to let it shine.”
‘Behold my eloquence, which even bewitched a dragon!’
I could see irrepressible joy filling the king’s face.
Dikel III must have received countless gifts, but surely never a sword given as a sign of friendship by a dragon.
A famed blade bestowed by a dragon—what treasure could match it? If something I offered became a national treasure, that wouldn’t be bad for me either.
“I’ll send it safely through Sir Hansen. I hope it pleases you.”
[Truly, I am a man overflowing with fortune! No amount of thanks would suffice for you. I will make that sword a treasure of our kingdom and preserve it forever! Of course, your name will be recorded with it.]
‘I can hear it—the sound of my bright future unfolding. The sound of my back growing very well protected!’
[That you were born in this country is my blessing, and the people’s light.]
“I’m only honored to hear you say so.”
[Here and now I swear sincerely. I, Dikel III, seek loyalty that springs from your heart, and I will be a king worthy to serve.]
Normally that’s the line I should be saying. As expected, I don’t dislike our king.
His dream is a bit grand, but I’ll cheer him on.
“Glory to Dmitri, forever.”
[Blessings upon you.]
—
I’d been sitting idly by the small fountain opposite the Magic Tower for thirty minutes, and in that time more than three vagrants had asked me for alms.
“Grrrr.”
I drove them off from afar by showing Rai’s gleaming molars.
As Lox said, there were noticeably more vagrants on the streets—and I couldn’t say it wasn’t because I freed the slaves.
I hadn’t committed the act while thinking through all these aftereffects.
Once Grak laid hands on me, I wouldn’t feel satisfied until I’d killed every slave trader, and Endairon’s power was a kind I couldn’t perfectly restrain—so the slaves had been an obstacle to a proper massacre.
I freed them for the simple reason that there was no reason to kill them, too.
A sense of justice? Is that something you can eat?
[Master! Look at me!]
“Hm?”
[How about this? I can imitate a wolf perfectly now, can’t I? Just like the real thing, right?]
Rai let out another savage growl. He seemed pleased that the vagrants fled in fear.
[I thought you were imitating a dog.]
[It’s a wolf! Look at this dignity! Ta-da!]
Even if he made his own sound effects and stood proudly on all fours, to my eyes he was nothing more than a pathetic spirit.
Fine, fine—if you say so, so be it.
I gave a perfunctory nod, and saw Hansen—whom I’d sent to run an errand to the Magic Tower—come pelting toward me.
“Miss!”
“Why did it take so long?”
“My apologies! The line was long. The freed slaves are sending telegrams to their hometowns—the inside was absolutely packed.”
“What? With what money are the slaves sending telegrams?”
The base fee for a telegram alone equaled three nights at a mid-tier inn. For a poor traveler, a telegram was a luxury.
“The Tower clerk said an anonymous donor came by last night. He left a large sum to be used for the slaves to contact their families. Whoever it is, there’s a person of admirable character.”
‘I have a feeling that anonymous donor looked extremely ordinary, and his name is Ash.
I saw him leave last night with a hefty-looking coin pouch.’
“Hm. So what came addressed to me?”
“There was one. From the Crowell territory. Here.”
From home, then. I was glad the reply arrived before leaving this city.
I hadn’t sent telegrams to many places to begin with—Mia and Iruze had sent replies through Hansen, and I’d had a video call with the Headmaster yesterday—so I’d basically finished all my correspondence.
With my family reached as well, I was truly unburdened.
In good spirits, I unfolded the telegram.
[Life. Joy. Thanks to God. Problem. Arose. Brothers. Dragon. To find. Departed. Three. All. Missing. Return. When. ?. Love. Always. Waiting.]
It was merely a string of words, but more than enough to understand. And it looked familiar somehow.
Iruze’s letter had carried much the same content.
The tragic news that Bright Kenian, Geenie Crowell’s original follower who had been the very first to chase after me, had even taken leave from work and gone off to find me.
‘Honestly, aren’t they idiots?’
“Looks like… my brothers left to find me.”
“Pardon? You have brothers?”
“I sometimes forget, but I have three.”
Memories from childhood were mostly hazy, but I clearly remembered how my three older brothers doted on me.
When I was found to be a genius and left for the Royal Drike Academy, the three little boys chased my carriage in tears—that memory lingered long.
They also wrote more often than our parents. Perhaps the reason older men don’t make my heart flutter is because of those brothers.
They’re unbearably fussy.
I can’t stand it. How dare anyone find me cute!
“When you say they ‘left’… surely you don’t mean what I think you mean?”
“That ‘surely’ is exactly right. Looks like they’re bustling about to catch a dragon.”
What do men in this world think dragons are?
There’s a saying that dying to a dragon isn’t shameful, but that doesn’t mean they’re dying to die.
“Is… is that all right?”
“What wouldn’t be all right?”
“Miss! Aren’t you worried?”
“I don’t even know where they are by now—what am I supposed to do?”
Bright and my brothers alike were all reckless and had no plan.
How do they expect to find a dragon? If they meet Magi, that’s at least lucky; if they meet another dragon, there won’t even be bones left to collect.
To be honest, it’s not that I wasn’t worried. It’s just that my worrying wouldn’t change anything.
I folded the telegram roughly and tucked it into my clothes, clicking my tongue.
“So troublesome… Once rumors spread that I’m alive, they’ll go home on their own. Leave them be. They’re not children, are they?”
“Even so….”
“More importantly, run an errand for me. I need to send a reply to the estate.”
At my words, Hansen looked back grimly. By then, the line at the Magic Tower stretched all the way outside.
Judging by the look of it, slaves who’d heard there was a benefactor were flocking in to contact their hometowns.
“Right now? Here?”
“Yep.”
“Couldn’t we send it after returning to Dmitri? It took ages just to find your incoming reply. Who knows how long sending one out will take….”
“No. Imagine how eagerly my parents are waiting for news. I need to answer as soon as possible.”
If I had to send it myself, I would’ve blithely put it off till next time—but right now there was someone in front of me to order around.
And I was very good at ordering people around.
“If you say so, I have no choice but to comply. What shall I write?”
“Tell them my return may take some time. So they shouldn’t wait too anxiously—like that.”
“…They’re people you know are waiting… and that’s the reply….”
‘What was that?
I can’t hear you over the sound of my missing conscience.’
—
Leaving the reply to Hansen, I strolled through the market at ease.
Annie would leave for Dmitri with Hansen tomorrow, so I planned to buy a few necessities to send with her.
“What did the Academy require again…?”
[Cute and adorable Rai?]
“I told you to get a grip.”
[Tch, Master is too cold!]
Leaving Rai to his silly chatter, I looked around the market.
Nothing in particular caught my eye because the Royal Drike Academy was such a well-provisioned place.
From underwear to single socks, all clothing was provided; textbooks, of course, and even an allowance. With so many nobles enrolled, it was hard to find anything lacking.
As for money, I’d just hand over everything Big Sis Anel had entrusted to me.
With Geenie Crowell as her guardian, no one would dare bully her… and if they did, so be it. Overcoming it would be Annie’s task alone.
Just as freeing slaves was the limit of what I could do for them, getting Annie admitted was as far as my part went.
[How about that? Snacks!]
“Candied fruit? Nice, but won’t it spoil?”
[There’s candy, too.]
Since the Academy didn’t give out sweets readily, I’d gone crazy for them as a child.
I’d become friends with Iruze purely because of chocolate, and most of my allowance went down on snacks.
I loitered before a stall piled with candy, then walked past.
I found myself in an unfamiliar dilemma. What makes a good gift for a girl about to start at the Academy?